Sacre Coeur and Montmartre

Montmartre Travel Blog

Only three blocks from where we stayed was Montmartre and the Basilique du Sacre Coeur. Montmartre is a modest hill that overlooks Paris, giving a panoramic view of 30 kilometers on a clear day. It's quiet squares and streets are also the home of dozens of artists, working their palettes, creating oft-repeated street scenes in hopes of making a few euros. It works! My wife was amazed at one artist who simply used a palette knife to spread black paint on a beige 4" by 6" canvas. Very detailed and representative of major tourists sites in Paris, she bought two of them. They hang in our dining room, she says Paula Dean has one in her house so I guess that makes them special!!!

Only a block or two away is the Basilique du Sacre Coeur, or, Church of the Sacred Heart.

Basilique du Sacre Coeur.

It took 39 years to build and was often visited by Pope John XXIII. I don't know which is more impressive, the exterior or interior. It sits on a the slope of Montmartre so as you ascend from the city streets, it dominates the surroundings. The sky was incredibly blue that day giving a striking contrast to the basilica. You can walk up the steps the last block or so, or ride the funicular, a type of tram or cable car.

The interior of the church contains one of the world's largest mosaics,
and depicts Christ with outstretched arms. Pictures were not allowed and that's a shame. Like most churches in Paris, there were many magnificent paintings and pieces of sculpture. I discovered later you could climb up to the dome and look out over the city. I burned a candle for my catholic friends and left with a sense of awe.